You are here

As quickly as the US sports betting market sprang into life, it has now ground to a halt. This, of course, is down to the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic rather than regulatory pushback, but this puts operators across a number of states under huge pressure.

Considering the rapid progress and high regulatory costs were already weighing heavily on margins, the challenge now shifts to keeping the expensively acquired customers playing. This issue’s cover feature looks at the products available to mitigate the sporting shutdown.

iGB North America’s finance columnist Mohit Kansal also examines the impact of the pandemic, in a change to his regular column. He points out that the crisis could provide opportunities for investors, but warns that the impact will be most keenly felt on gaming destinations such as Las Vegas.

The pandemic has also resulted in iGB’s parent company Clarion Gaming postponing the ICE North America show until spring 2021. It will be replaced by ICE North America Digital, a week-long series of panels, interviews and presentations that will run from May 11 to 15. We hope as many of our readers as possible will be able to join, and with some digital networking opportunities, the iGB North America team will be available to meet remotely.

As you know, the NBA and NHL have allowed PartyPoker to sponsor the New Jersey Devils, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Prudential Center. In my mind, this is more than just a savvy commercial deal for all paries involved.

The floodgates have opened in New Jersey and with over 50,000 accounts registered at the time od this magazine going to print, the launch of iGaming in the Garden State seems to have been an overwhelming success.

In this issue of iGaming Business North America, not only do we welcome Geoff Freeman, the new President and CEO of the AGA, and Mitch Garber, CEO of Caesars Interactive, but we enter a new age of American gaming. With New Jersey’s November online